Love Hurts
by YaoiCommanderForever
Summary: Hubie's heart is broken, can Rocko help him cope?
1. Chapter 1

Hubie panted as he jumped from the thrashing waves onto pebble beach. The full moon was high in the sky and the full moon mating ceremony was about to begin, he only had minutes to put a stop to Drake's plot before he forced Marina into mating with him. Hobbling as fast as any penguin had ever gone before Hubie went in search of the two other penguins. He knew that Drake liked to roost in the old cavern behind the rookery and that was his destination.

When he got there, Drake and Marina were nowhere in sight. Hubie snuck through Drakes lair, grimacing at the bones that littered the ground; how could a penguin live like this? Hubie finally made it to what could only be the other penguins nest. Drake was still nowhere to be seen but Marina was there. The female penguin sat huddled in Drake's nest, a wretched look on her face as she cradled herself.

"M-Marina!" Hubie cried out softly, mindful that Drake could show up at any moment. Marina's head whipped around and she stared wide eyed at Hubie. Fresh tears flooded her eyes and washed down her cheeks "Hubie!". The female penguin jumped up from her huddled position and scurried over to the male, throwing her flippers around his neck in a tight hug. Hubie returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm "Oh Marina, I'm s-so s-sorry I made you wait, let's g-get out of here before Drake comes back".

Hubie turned and started to lead the way out but he was halted from doing so when Marina didn't move. Hubie looked back at her in confusion "Marina?". Marina gave Hubie a heart broken and guilty look as more tears continued to flood her eyes. "I can't Hubie" she said with a miserable whimper. "Marina w-what do you mean? W-why can't w-we leave?" Hubie asked, confused and worried about the penguin he loved. "I can't leave Hubie; Drake has forbidden it" Marina cried as she huddled in on herself again.

"Marina I…. I don't understand; we sh-should get out of here now" Hubie urged the female penguin. "I can't Hubie!" Marina wailed as she crumpled to the floor "I'm so sorry Hubie, I tried to wait, I truly did but you took so long that I thought you were truly gone; I had no choice". Hubei froze as he heard those words, his blood turning as cold as the icy wind that howled outside. "What?" Hubie finally gasped as he stared down at the love of his life in horror as she continued to sob.

"I've mated with Drake; we've consummated the mating and I'm now carrying his chick" Marina said brokenly as she wrapper her flippers around her stomach. "No no nonononono this wasn't supposed to happen, I was supposed to return and give you the pebble and then we'd be mates for life!" Hubie said in denial, forgetting for the moment that the pebble had been lost with Rocko; his world was crumbling and he didn't know what to do to stop it.

"Just go Hubie, go before Drake returns from fishing" Marina urged. Hubie had no will left to defy those words, he turned and ran; each waddling step shattering his already broken heart a little more. Hubie didn't stop moving until he arrived at the hill top where he once contemplated the world. Hubie fell to the snow, finally allowing his heart wrenching tears to flow free. He cried and cried until not a single drop remained; he cried for the loss of the woman he loved, he cried for the loss of the greatest friend a penguin could ever ask for, he cried for the unfairness life seemed to throw at him. Hubie threw his head back and screamed to the sky, his heart break could be heard for miles in every direction.


	2. Chapter 2

Rocko grunted as the waves threw him ashore, god he hated killer whales and that would never change. He pushed himself to his feet and looked around himself "Snow, rocks, and more snow, looks like I'm in the right place, now to make sure that idiot hasn't gotten himself killed". Rocko searched pebble beach for Hubie, getting more and more frustrated the longer it took to find him. He came to the bottom of a hill and looked up at the top "I swear if he's not up here I'll kill him when I find him".

Rocko made the long trek up the slope till he reached the top. There he saw a penguin wearing a familiar hat and scarf, sitting in the snow. "Yo Romeo, you save that girl of yours yet or are you sleeping on the job?" Rocko joked as he marched over to the slumped figure. Hubie startled as a familiar voice spoke, making his aching heart jump into his throat. He felt hope flooding him as he slowly turned his head "Rocko?".

"Who else would I be? A leopard seal?" Rocko said sarcastically. The Rockhopper paused when he saw the other penguins red eyes and tear stained feathers "What, did my death really effect you that much? Well I can't say I blame you, I am pretty gre-". His words were cut off as he was suddenly buried under a bear hug from Hubie who had thrown himself at the shorter penguin with a cry of the other's name.

Hubie thought he had no more tears to shed but he was so very wrong. He bawled into his best friend's feathers, relief that at least he still had his best friend. Rocko stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do about the blubbering penguin clinging to him "h-hey now, no need to cling like that, come on you're embarrassing me". When Hubie only continued to cling Rocko sighed and patted the other's back.

When the crying started to die down Hubie sniffled and said brokenly "I-I can't believe y-you're alive. You s-survived all those k-killer whales, you- all I w-was able to f-find was your b-bandanna". Hubie stood up straight and stared Rocko in the eyes "I can't believe it, oh Rocko I'm so happy you're still alive!".

"Well I couldn't just let my good buddy save his true love all on his own, you would get your butt kicked without me" Rocko chuckled as he undid part of his bandanna and pulled out the shiny green stone Hubie had lugged for 3,000 miles just to give to his soul mate "plus you forgot your blasted pebble, can't let you propose without it now can we?".

As soon as Hubie's eyes landed on the stone from the wishing star they started to produce fresh tears and his heart broke all over again. Rocko's eyes widened at the unexpected reaction as his friend pulled away, as if he had been lunged at by a leopard seal "Hubie? H-Hey what's the matter? What happened?".

Hubie shook his head and covered his face with his flippers. "Y-you were r-right R-Rocko" he said brokenly "I sh-should have given up on M-Marina… Sh-she….. Drake… oh R-Rocko….".


	3. Chapter 3

Rocko stared up at Hubie in disbelief. Hubie's words may be unintelligible but he got the jist of what was being said, Marina had married Drake; Hubie's harrowing journey had been for nothing. "I… I'm sorry man" Rocko said softly as his flipper clenched around the rock "I can't believe she would do that to you…..".

The Rockhopper could feel anger building inside him, anger at the woman who broke his best friends heart, anger at this Drake guy who managed to steal her from such a great guy like Hubie, and anger at himself for not getting Hubie here sooner. He also felt a great sorrow grow along side his anger as he watched the greatest friend any penguin could ask for, wanting nothing more than to sooth away the pain caused by such a heart-breaking loss.

There was a third emotion he was at a loss for and slightly ashamed to feel…. He was relieved. He was relieved that Marina was off with Drake and Hubie was here with him. He was relieved that he didn't have to share his best friend with some female who would consume all of Hubie's attention.

He knew that made him a terrible best friend but he had always been rather selfish when it came to what he considered his. Hubie is his best friend, they had been through 3,000 miles of water infested with leopard seals and killer whales, braving the weather. He bet Marina had never done anything like that, she probably just stood around looking all pretty, luring kind-hearted penguins to her all the time.

Well Rocko was going to make sure this was one penguin she wasn't going to ruin. Rocko steeled his resolve and tucked the pebble away. "Hey buddy, I'm sorry about your girl" He said gently to the depressed looking penguin who sat on the only boulder in sight.

"I t-traveled a-all this way, I f-fought off w-whales a-and s-seals, I learned to f-fight…. All s-so I c-c-could get to h-her and we c-could live h-happily ever a-after" Hubie said softly as he wiped his face with is scarf.

Rocko sat down beside Hubie and rubbed the other's back "I wish I could help you man, this whole thing sucks…. Ah who needs females, they just tie you down, nag you to death, that's why I plan to be a bachelor forever; you don't need some girl to get your happily ever after".

Hubie sat there quietly, appreciative of the comfort Rocko was trying to give him in his own Rocko way. "Thanks buddy…. I….. I think I'll be okay… eventually, I just n-need time" Hubie said as he looked at Rocko with a weak smile. Rocko rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged then jumped up from his seat.

"Well, since you aren't getting married, how about we take another trip? I've always wanted to go to the Caribbean, I hear they have nice beaches and fish ten times our size that tastes ten times better than anything we've ever eaten" He said as he stretched his fins as if he was warming up for a long work out.

"Sure buddy, sounds like a plan" Hubie said softly as he slowly pushed himself up from his seat. His eyes glanced down at the pair of hearts created from pebbles he had laid in the snow and he slowly went over to it. Using one webbed foot he disturbed the rocks until the hearts were indistinguishable.

Rocko watched Hubie for a long moment and when the other penguin turned to him the two of them made their way down the hill toward the water, ready to begin the next chapter of their journey together. Hubie may not have ended up with who he thought of as his true love but he had found himself the greatest best friend any penguin could ask for. And who knows, perhaps one day his heart would forget Marina and maybe it would be ready to love again.

The End… or is it?


End file.
